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What I Learned from the Janitor

Posted on March 28, 2018 by Tim Cool

A while back I read The Janitor by Todd Hopkins and Ray Hilbert (Oh…did you think I was referring to a person…sorry). This short book is written in the format of a novel (a la Tom Peters) and is a very quick read…but with some great insights.

I won’t spoil the story portion of the book…as it is well written, but I do want to share with you the 6 principles the book raises. Some of these are going to sound simplistic to some of you and even like common sense…but in reality, most of us do not live what we know to be true. HMMM…that sounds like something the apostle Paul once wrote.

Here are the principles:

Recharge vs. Discharge: What are we doing to recharge our minds, bodies, energies, soul, etc. When we stay so focused on our work or on a task that requires us to discharge, it is important to take the time to recharge.

View family as a blessing, not a responsibility: I am not sure there is anything to add to this. If we don’t get this right…not much else matters.

Pray; don’t pout: Ouch…I must admit that many times, when things go wrong or I am stressed or not getting my way (whaaaa), I tend to pout, wallow and the like (not very pretty)…when I should pray.

Pass it around: You will need to read the book to fully grasp this…but the premise is to give ourselves away.

Don’t spend; invest: This was my favorite. Am I “spending” my time and energies or investing it in things with eternal value. We must evaluate all our activities in life as either an investment or an expense.

Leave a legacy: The reality is that we all will leave a legacy…but what kind?

I would recommend picking up the book and spending a couple hours (if that) to get lost in the story and then absorb and apply the principles. This is good stuff.